FIA WTCChttp://www.fiawtcc.com
Real cars, real racingTue, 31 Mar 2015 19:29:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Why Huff is the ultimate WTCC street fighterhttp://www.fiawtcc.com/why-huff-is-the-ultimate-wtcc-street-fighter/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/why-huff-is-the-ultimate-wtcc-street-fighter/#commentsTue, 31 Mar 2015 18:52:54 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179592Huff, WTCC champion in 2012, bagged his first win on the streets of Macau in 2008. And while he has enjoyed the bulk of his urban racing success in the Far East, he’s also triumphed in Europe by winning in Porto.

However, victory in Marrakech, where Circuit Moulay El Hassan hosts the first WTCC street race of the season next month, has so far eluded Huff.

Alain Menu is the second most successful WTCC street racer with eight triumphs, while Augusto Farfus, Yvan Muller and Andy Priaulx have all scored five street wins apiece.

Find out who will come out on top on the streets of Marrakech when Eurodatacar WTCC Race of Morocco takes place from 17-19 April.

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/why-huff-is-the-ultimate-wtcc-street-fighter/feed/0Early homecoming for WTCC star Monteirohttp://www.fiawtcc.com/early-homecoming-for-wtcc-star-monteiro/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/early-homecoming-for-wtcc-star-monteiro/#commentsMon, 30 Mar 2015 10:28:16 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179555Monteiro, one part of the leading Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team, is testing at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão in the far south of his native Portugal.

While the test will enable further development of the race-winning Honda Civic WTCC, it will also provide an opportunity for Monteiro to get behind the wheel ahead of next month’s WTCC Race of Morocco. The test will also give him an opportunity to take to the track in Portugal prior to his country’s world championship return in July when Vila Real hosts the bumper-to-bumper action.

Citroën Total WTCC and LADA Sport Rosneft will also be testing in Portimão this week.

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/early-homecoming-for-wtcc-star-monteiro/feed/0Taking over from Valentino Rossi. By WTCC ace Stefano D’Astehttp://www.fiawtcc.com/taking-over-from-valentino-rossi-by-wtcc-ace-stefano-daste/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/taking-over-from-valentino-rossi-by-wtcc-ace-stefano-daste/#commentsSun, 29 Mar 2015 17:08:29 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179540D’Aste and Rossi raced together at 125cc level during the 1994 season before Cagiva signed D’Aste to replace Rossi for 1995 following the latter’s graduation to the 250cc category.

While Rossi went on to claim a succession of 500cc and MotoGP titles, D’Aste switched to four wheels, firstly in rallying before a successful move to car racing.

“When Valentino was a factory rider of Cagiva in 1994 I was a semi-factory rider,” remembers D’Aste. “I had the official parts but the bike from the year before from Valentino. Then when Valentino left 125 I signed a contact with Cagiva and got the place of Valentino. I used his bike before I got the evolution bike and because Valentino won the championship the year before they gave me number one.”

D’Aste recalls his time on two wheels with great fondness and likens the atmosphere in bike racing to the WTCC, which he’s backing contesting this season in a ALL-INK.com Münnich Motorsport Chevrolet.

“Many times we were together in the paddock having fun and doing silly things,” says D’Aste of Rossi. “We did some funny things with water guns and taking scooters off road, having great fun, which is how it is in the WTCC. I knew Valentino would be good and it’s great he’s back really very competitive now.”

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/taking-over-from-valentino-rossi-by-wtcc-ace-stefano-daste/feed/0WTCC Race of Morocco holds no fear for Micheliszhttp://www.fiawtcc.com/wtcc-race-of-morocco-holds-no-fear-for-michelisz/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/wtcc-race-of-morocco-holds-no-fear-for-michelisz/#commentsSat, 28 Mar 2015 21:01:53 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179525The Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy leader has struggled to hit top form at the Circuit Moulay El Hassan but the Hungarian says he won’t be put off when the WTCC hits town from 17-19 April.

“In general I like street circuits a lot, especially because my first win in the WTCC was [on the streets of] Macau so I always felt quite confident when it was about going close to the walls,” said Michelisz, who drives a MOL Group-backed Honda Civic WTCC for Zengő Motorsport. “But somehow in Marrakech I didn’t score any good results and if I have to think back, Marrakech was almost in every year my worst weekend so I will try to change that.”

Asked why he’d never achieved success in Morocco, Michelisz explained: “It’s mostly luck especially when you have 20 cars after the standing start heading to the first corner. Everyone wants to overtake the other one. For sure you will have some rubbing and things like that and it’s very difficult to judge if it’s a bit too much or just enough. You have to take the risk but also during the race you have to consider twice if you want to do an overtaking manoeuvre or not. I will try to evaluate these situations and make good decisions.”

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/wtcc-race-of-morocco-holds-no-fear-for-michelisz/feed/0Rally not rest for WTCC hero Loebhttp://www.fiawtcc.com/rally-not-rest-for-wtcc-hero-loeb/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/rally-not-rest-for-wtcc-hero-loeb/#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 17:26:36 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179507Loeb, who sparkled with victory in the second of two FIA World Touring Car Championship races in Argentina earlier this month, is contesting Rallye National Epernay Vins de Champagne in northeast France from today (27 March).

The nine-time world rally champion will be competing in a Citroën DS 3 WRC alongside his sister-in-law Sandra Rebout, while his wife, Séverine, will co-drive Dominique Rebout, husband of Sandra Rebout.

“It’s great to get together with family to share this passion that we all have in common,” WRC.com reported. “Dominique has done some good rallies and he can count on Séverine who showed her skills at the Rallye du Var [last year]. The idea that I run with Sandra started as a joke. But then we found the idea not so crazy.”

Loeb contested the event in 1998 and 1999 prior to his elevation to World Rally Championship superstardom. His next WTCC outing is in Morocco from 17-19 April.

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/rally-not-rest-for-wtcc-hero-loeb/feed/0Portugal here we come for WTCC team LADA Sporthttp://www.fiawtcc.com/portugal-here-we-come-for-wtcc-team-lada-sport/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/portugal-here-we-come-for-wtcc-team-lada-sport/#commentsFri, 27 Mar 2015 14:12:35 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179488They will be putting LADA’s all-new Vesta TC1 through its paces at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão in readiness for WTCC Race of Morocco.

A statement from the Russian squad confirmed it will “test new technical solutions for improving and increasing the reliability of the new LADA Vesta TC1”.

The statement continued: “LADA Sport Rosneft engineers have determined a plan of development for the Vesta TC1 using data collected from the season-opening round in Argentina earlier this month, where the Vesta made its competitive debut when piloted by Huff and Thompson, who gave positive feedback, noting its excellent speed and performance.

“While some parts have already been tested this week at the team’s technical base in France, the upcoming tests in Portimão will make up the lack of the pre-season testing, and the team hopes that LADA Vesta will be more competitive in Morocco.”

“It was a nice race today fighting to the end to try to get to the podium,” said Lopez, part of Citroën’s factory team in the WTCC. “P4 was a very good result considering the problems of engine that we had.”

López will resume his bid for a second straight WTCC title when Marrakech hosts WTCC Race of Morocco from 17-19 April.

Photo: Facebook.com/37pechito

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/when-pechito-met-caca/feed/0Hot weather no worries for WTCC ace Rydellhttp://www.fiawtcc.com/hot-weather-no-worries-for-wtcc-ace-rydell/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/hot-weather-no-worries-for-wtcc-ace-rydell/#commentsWed, 25 Mar 2015 13:30:48 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179434After enduring in-car temperatures of more than 70 degrees centigrade during WTCC Race of Argentina earlier this month, the Honda Sweden-backed Rydell is braced for similar conditions when the championship heads to Africa for WTCC Race of Morocco from 17-19 April.

However, the Swede says his rigorous fitness regime – he sometimes trains seven days per week – will ensure that he can cope with the harshest conditions.

“The heat was incredible in Argentina with temperatures of more than 70 degrees inside the car,” said Rydell, who began his WTCC return with a brace of top 10 finishes in Argentina in his NIKA International-run Honda Civic WTCC. “They were two of the toughest races I’ve ever driven but I was getting good use of all the training I’ve done this winter. I train between four and seven times a week with physical training and I keep fit so it should not be a problem.”

Rydell is one of five drivers racing Honda’s Civic WTCC in 2015. He’s a five-time winner in the world’s premier touring car series.

]]>http://www.fiawtcc.com/hot-weather-no-worries-for-wtcc-ace-rydell/feed/0MOL Group becomes new Event Presenting Partner of WTCC Race of Hungaryhttp://www.fiawtcc.com/mol-group-becomes-new-event-presenting-partner-of-wtcc-race-of-hungary/
http://www.fiawtcc.com/mol-group-becomes-new-event-presenting-partner-of-wtcc-race-of-hungary/#commentsTue, 24 Mar 2015 11:37:30 +0000http://www.fiawtcc.com/?p=179417As well as continuing its successful partnership with Zengő Motorsport and Hungarian racer Michelisz, a three-time winner in the WTCC, MOL Group’s backing of its home WTCC race from 1-3 May will underline MOL Group’s corporate philosophy of supporting top talents – be it in sports or in business areas such as the oil and gas industry – to achieve their life-long ambitions.

Dominic Köfner, Vice President for Corporate Communications, MOL Group, said: “Motorsports is a field where discipline and ambition meet. Being focused and at the same time being extremely challenging versus your competitors is key to success, just like in the oil and gas industry, where MOL Group operates. WTCC is more and more popular in Hungary and internationally, and we are proud to support the Hungarian race as well as to supply racing fuel for the whole WTCC series through our member company Panta Distribuzione S.p.A.”

François Ribeiro, WTCC General Manager, said: “MOL Group’s involvement in the WTCC is already widely known through its partnership with Norbert Michelisz, one of the leading drivers in the championship. We are really pleased MOL Group has now expanded its involvement in the WTCC by sponsoring its home event, which will bring the company the best possible complementary visibility to the Zengő Motorsport car, plus very predominant exposure through the WTCC television broadcasts.”

The MOL Group WTCC Race of Hungary begins with a spectacular street parade in Budapest on Friday 1 May when 300,000 fans are expected to watch demonstrations by WTCC, Formula One and other racing cars. Last year’s race was watched by 23.044 million television viewers according to figures produced by sports research firm REPUCOM.